Felix Felicis
by albe-chan
Summary: James loves Lily-this is fact at Hogwarts in 1977. But what happens when a brilliant Marauder scheme, FTWL, involving lucky potion ACTUALLY works? And what will the consequences be? JPLE.slight RLSB.mentions of SLASH.SMUT.SEX. For serindraxx's late b-day!
1. Chapter 1

**Felix Felicis **

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own Harry Potter, or any of the characters mentioned in this story, unless stated otherwise. Rated for possible sexual content, violence and language. Reader discretion is advised. Any similarities to real life are purely coincidence and I will not be held responsible! Thanks!

_**WARNING:**_ WILL CONTAIN MATURE THEMES (sex, swearing, etc), IMPLIED/MILD SLASH (male on male), BAD HUMOUR, POTION-MAKING (don't ask why you have to be warned about that), and RIDONKULUSNESS!! Ye be warned

**Author's Note: **this came to me as I was reading HBP just now, and even though it's two in the morning, I HAVE to get this plot bunny down, at least so I don't forget it entirely 'cause…well it's brilliant (if I may say so myself). So here we go! 'It's the chemistry of a car crash…' Shiny Toy Guns ROCKS!! Cheers!

PS. – THIS IS FOR THE SIMPLY _FANTABULOUS_ serindraxx FOR HER BIRTHDAY!! (Which was on Valentine's, and I know this is horrendously late, but…well you've seen why, love). SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLIN'! This is for you on Singles' Awareness Day! XD

XXX

"Mooney, how long does it take to die from drowning?" James Potter asked morosely as he stared into the half-inch of milk on the bottom of his cereal bowl.

Remus Lupin glanced up, sliding his boyfriend's hand off his leg, and smiled sympathetically. "More time than it will take for you and Sirius to set out for Divination and less time than it will take for me to tell you all the reasons why drowning yourself in half an inch of milk is a stupid idea."

"Why d'you want to drown yourself, Prongsie?" Sirius asked, discarding the bottom portion of his muffin and stuffing the top half into his mouth before putting his hand back on Remus' thigh.

"Lily hates me."

"What else is new?" Sirius muttered, spewing blueberry muffin crumbs across the table before Remus elbowed him and glared (and not just for the hand this time).

"I mean more than normally," James added, sighing and turning his spoon over and over in his hand. "I mean I think she really might actually _hate_ me."

"What's happened now?" asked Peter Pettigrew, the final quarter of the infamous Marauders, as he reached across for more toast.

"I saw her in the common room this morning," James sighed depressively, "working on her Potions homework. So I decided to ask her if she wouldn't mind, since she was so brilliant, if she would brew me up a potion."

Remus looked confusedly at his friend, too caught up in wondering how that led to Lily hating James more than normal to notice Sirius' hand moving steadily up his leg. "So? What's bad about that? In fact, that's almost a…normal thing to say."

James merely shook his head. "She asked me what potion, and I said…I said…" James put his head in his arms at this point, and mumbled incoherently into the table. Remus and Peter looked at Sirius, who was eating another muffin top while making a pyramid from the uneaten bottom halves of the other six he'd consumed, to decipher James' mumbling.

"He said he asked her to make him some Felix Felicis, so he could get lucky."

Remus groaned and rolled his eyes as Peter hastily tried to stifle his giggles (for he rather thought this _brilliant_ like everything else James did). "Are you _serious_ Prongs?"

"No, I'm Sirius," Sirius cut in. Remus disregarded him.

"Did you _honestly_ think that anything good could come from you asking something so incredibly stupid? I mean Salazar's shorts! The two hundred and forty seven other bad joke innuendos didn't work on Lily, why did you think this one would!?"

"Well Lily's Smart like you, and you fell for Padfoot's lame come-ons!" James retorted, annoyed that Remus had made him feel like an imbecile so effectively. Peter gagged slightly on his toast and James thumped him dutifully on the back.

"Yes," said Remus patiently, "but Padfoot also happens to be more charming and handsome than you. No offence. But, I mean, it just works when he does things like that…plus he's got those eyes that you can't stay mad at…and he's devilishly good looking to boot…_great_ body…" Sirius was beaming at his boyfriend, and leaned over to kiss him.

"Ahem! Not at breakfast please!" said James sharply. "And whatever, Mooney, you're just effing smitten with that git, so nothing he does fazes you. Let's get back to me, shall we?"

"What d'you mean, 'back to you'?" Sirius asked, incredulously overdramatic (as always). "I thought we'd already established Lily hates your life because you're stupid. What more is there to talk about?" James knocked down his muffin-bottom pyramid and Sirius squawked, hastening to rebuild it.

Having distracted his best mate, James then turned to Remus. "Mooney, you have to help me redeem myself in Lily's eyes… Please? Pretty please? I'll buy you chocolate…"

Remus rolled his eyes again, sure they were going to roll right out of his head some day soon if he didn't find someone half sane to talk to. "Alright, fine, I'll help you. But you have to promise, _promise_, me that you'll stop making dumb passes at Lily from now on. If I have to hear you whine and her bitch at me one about something you've done more time I'm going to implode."

Sirius (who had completed the rebuilding of his muffin pyramid) didn't look up from where he was making a toast-fence around his pyramid as he said, "Ooh, have you got a plan then, Moonshine?"

"Of course he does," said Peter promptly, throwing bits of his own toast at Sirius' wall to test its strength and durability, "he's Mooney!"

"Too right you are Pete!" James agreed, looking heartened that he would soon have to woman of his dreams not hate him as intensely as she did right then, and he stood up. "Come, Padfoot, let us go to Divination and predict how soon Lily will be on her back in my bed!"

Sirius jumped up as well, kissing Remus noisily on the cheek before grabbing up his bag. "Yes, let us go Prongs, you evil man who shall no longer harm my feat of architectural genius. Remus, be a darling and make sure no one touches my pyramid, will you?"

The lycan was just nodding wearily (as he'd been asked to watch muffin pyramids at least half a dozen times before), when James, cackling madly, dumped the contents of his cereal bowl on top of the feat of architectural genius, leaving it a sodden, blueberry filled mass on the table, no longer needing the milk to contemplate ending his own life. Sirius stalked away angrily and refused to think up funny things to see in the crystal ball (and exclaim loudly about to the teacher with the singular intention to disrupt the class) with him all through Divination.

Later that evening, however, as they all sat around the fire, Sirius seemed to have forgiven James for his treachery (James having claimed he was only trying to give the pyramid a moat to go with it's toast-fence), and was now taking great pleasure in planning whether to have 'I fornicate with myself' or 'Snivellus wanks' stuck on the back of Severus Snape's robes the next day with his best mate and Wormtail. Remus was sitting on the arm of Sirius' squashy, dilapidated chair, not really paying attention to what his friends were plotting, but trying to think of how to turn James blunder with Lily into a not-so-complete fiasco. And just as Peter suggested they write 'Snivellus wanks' in pink writing, it came to Remus, in one gloriously beautiful stroke of sheer genius.

"I've got it!" he almost shouted, causing his boyfriend to topple forward out of his chair in alarm and half the common room to look round at him. Blushing, Remus helped Sirius back into his seat, and leaned forward to divulge his plan in a quieter voice. "What we're going to do, lads, is feed James some _actual_ Felix Felicis. Then you can ask Lily out, and seeing as you'll be luckier than a box of four-leaf clovers, she'll undoubtedly say yes! _And_ there's the added benefit that you won't do something agonizingly dumb, because the potion will be leading you on!" The three of them stared at him, the Snape Pranking forgotten, mouths agape.

"But how…where are we going to _get_ Felix Felicis?" Sirius asked in a low voice.

"And assuming it works, what the hell am I going to do once Lily agrees to go out with me?" James whispered, his tone suggesting the thought of going on a date with Lily was more than slightly intimidating.

"Plus, how are we going to guarantee Prongs doesn't cock it up?" Peter asked, feeling like he should ask a question, seeing as everyone else had.

"I have answers to all those questions. We, or rather, I should say _you_ Padfoot, are going to get Lily to make some for us. James, you'll be fine, once Lily realizes your head isn't stuck completely up your own arse, she'll adore you. And Peter, we'll guarantee it by having one of us with Prongs in all stages of this whole thing. Operation FTWL, Felix to Win Lily, is going to commence right now."

Sirius looked proud that Remus had actually decided to use an acronym (something that he was notorious for) for the plan name, and Peter looked happy there would be something other than homework to do in the evenings now. James, however, looked confused. "Why does Sirius have to get Lily to make the potion? Why don't you, Remus?"

"Because Lily knows me. She'll be suspicious if I turn up and start chatting about potions to make people lucky, because she'll know I'm trying to help you win her over. If Sirius asks her, telling her, of course, that he wants to give it to me for my birthday but he's just way too crappy at Potions to even try it, she'll be much more inclined to do it. She won't be able to resist the challenge, and I feel certain Lily will think it beyond adorable Sirius wants to give me a lucky day for my birthday."

"But your birthday isn't for ages!" said Sirius, who looked, like the other two, rather awed by the cunning of Remus' brain. Remus rolled his eyes.

"I _know_, but Felix Felicis takes six months to make. So all you have to do is buddy up to Lily for the next six months-"

"Lily will know something's up if Sirius is hanging round her," James cut in. "Or she'll think he's trying to get in her knickers or something. W-won't she?" he added beseechingly, looking at Remus, afraid that Sirius might _actually_ try to get in the love of his life's knickers.

"Like I'd even want to," Sirius muttered. "Naw, I suspect Evans will be too delighted by the fact someone can stand her for more than five minutes, besides other Smart People and you, Prongs, that she won't ask too many questions."

James opened his mouth to retort with something rude, but Remus forestalled him. "Whatever, the point is, we get Lily to make us the potion. Then, step two: you asking her out for a date. Peter will go up to her and say that you, James, want to ask something about…I dunno, the prefect schedule or something. Then she'll come by the dorm with Peter, and you'll have taken the potion, and so will be able to woo her. Then stage three commences: the date. We'll all be at various places during the day we set for you to take Lily out, which will be a Hogsmeade day, and we'll make sure you don't mess anything up too badly. First, you'll go to the Three Broomsticks, where you'll 'accidentally' bump into Peter. He'll say hello, then sit nearby so he can listen in and make sure you don't say anything stupid. Then you'll ask if she wants a coffee, and take her to Puddifoot's, where Padfoot and I will be. Just take a table nearby, and you're off to the races."

After Remus had finished this impressively devious monologue, the other Marauders stared at him in awe. "And you always said you hated pranking," Sirius purred after his initial shock wore off, nuzzling the lycan's neck.

Remus blushed. "I do hate pranking. This isn't a prank, its just…security, so that James can show Lily that he's really a nice person. And maybe if Prongs gets laid, he won't be so bitchy about us doing it," he added, winking roguishly.

"Have I ever told you that you're made of fucking _awesome_ Mooney?" James asked a bit hoarsely. He felt a giddy sense of excitement that, in six (or so) months time, he might just have Lily as his girlfriend once and for all.

Remus grinned, enjoying the praise. "Not lately."

XXX

If there was one person Lily Evans hated more than James Potter, it was his stupid best mate, Sirius Black. She was still puzzling over how the Casanova had won over Remus, someone she'd thought would be smarter than to date the philandering pureblood, but yet, they were still going strong several months into it, and Lily was left with her musings. Thus, it was with a resigned air that she slowed in the corridor a few days after she had seen the four Marauders plotting _something_ in the common room so that Sirius Black could catch up, panting, with her.

"Evans," he gasped, smiling winningly despite his breathlessness. "Merlin, for a short girl, you sure can book it."

Lily smiled grudgingly. "Sorry, but I have Ancient Runes, so if we could possibly walk and, er, talk simultaneously…?"

Sirius set off with her towards the opposite way he needed to go. "Look, I wanted to ask you a really, really, _uber big_, GRAGANTUAN, favour." Lily raised fiery eyebrows in surprise.

"Whatever it is, the answer is no."

"Aww, c'mon Evans, at least hear me out…" Sirius said in his best wheedling voice. "I swear, it's nothing to do with Pr-James. Honest."

"Fine," Lily said in an unwilling sort of way. "Let's hear it then."

"I want to get Remus something for his birthday, something-"

"Remus' birthday isn't until next year!" She squinted at him suspiciously. "What do you really want…?"

"I thought you said you were going to at least hear me out?" Sirius replied, sounding exasperated; Lily nodded. "Then could you please not interrupt me? I _know_ Remus' birthday isn't until next year, but the thing I want to get for him is going to take at least that long to make, or so I've read." Lily restrained herself from making a snide comment about Sirius reading, merely waiting for him to elaborate. "You see," he said when she didn't interrupt, "I want to get him some Felix Felicis."

Lily actually stopped walking as she rounded on him. "Potter put you up to this, didn't he!?" she demanded at once. Sirius forced his face into a look of confusion.

"What? I already told you, this is nothing to do with James."

"So he never told you about his last idiotic attempt to get me to go out with him?"

Sirius, continuing to look bewildered, shook his head. "No, and frankly I've no idea what you're even on about Evans… _Anyway_, like I was _saying_, I want to get Remus some Felix Felicis for his birthday, you know, give him a really good day and all, but I'm complete rubbish at Potions, and since it's common-knowledge you're the Potions Princess round here, I thought you might be willing to do me a favour by making me some. For Remus of course."

Lily considered it as she continued walking to Ancient Runes, Sirius following obediently behind her. Trust it to Black, she thought musingly, to pick one of the fiddliest, damn-near-impossible potions to give Remus for his birthday. Then again, she _was_ rather flattered he had sought her out for help…and it _would_ be a rather unique birthday gift idea… And she certainly couldn't help but be intrigued by the challenge it posed… "Alright," she sighed. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'll help you. You, however, have to get me the ingredients for it, because I don't have them all and some of them are downright expensive for those of us without giant trust funds at their disposal."

Sirius ignored this last jibe, grinning jubilantly, and actually pulled Lily into a momentary bone-crushing hug. "Thank you SO much Evans, you'll have your potion ingredients within the week! Oh I can just imagine the look on Remus' face now!" Lily grimaced slightly as Sirius sobered. "But, you can't tell anyone what you're brewing or if they find out what it is, what you're brewing it for. I don't want Remus to have a _clue_! And if there's anything I can _ever_ do for you, ever, ask and it'll be done."

"How about getting Potter to lay off the lame attempts to ask me out for a few weeks?" she replied dryly. Sirius beamed.

"Done."

Lily nodded and watched as Black traipsed back down the corridor with the sinking feeling that by the time the Felix Felicis was done, she would regret entering into this deal at all.

True to his word, Sirius had delivered every last one of the potion ingredients to her by the Saturday of that week, suggesting none too sneakily that she could start brewing it over the weekend. Lily had merely rolled her eyes, told him to sod off, and taken the items to her dorm room to stash them in the cauldron she kept under her bed for Potion emergencies. The temptation to start on it immediately was too much, however, (not that she'd ever let Sirius know it) and Lily found herself starting the complicated half-year process of brewing the Felix Felicis that very evening.

XXX

"How's the potion coming?' Sirius asked in a low voice, making Lily jump noticeably. She'd been in the library, making notes on trans-species Transfiguration for Professor McGonagall's essay that was due in less than a fortnight, and had been too absorbed to notice the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Merlin's pants!" she gasped, restraining herself from beating Sirius Black senseless with the book she'd been perusing with much difficulty. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" she hissed as a grinning Sirius plopped down beside her.

"Whatever you say Evans. So how-"

"I said to stop calling me that!"

"Apologies, _Lily_." Sirius shook off his annoyance. He had no idea what his best mate saw in the redhead; she was bloody bitchy. "So anyway, how's the potion coming?"

"The same as I told you last week, it's fine. I'm almost ready to add the pureed rat spleens-" Sirius made a face, glad he wouldn't be drinking anything with pureed rat spleen in it "-and lower the simmering temperature. A few more hours in fact, should be about the time," she added, glancing at her watch thoughtfully.

"Excellent. So we're on schedule then?"

"Yes, Black. Now go away, you're ruining my concentration."

Sirius smirked. "Is it because you secretly want me to ravage and plunder your innocence, Evans?"

"_What did I say about calling me that_?" Lily snapped, hating herself for blushing at the innuendo. "And for your information, my innocence has already been plundered." She turned back to her notes coolly, hoping Sirius would go away.

The Animagus, however, merely snickered. He had been using his weekly catch up times to check on the Felix Felicis' progress, as well as heckling Lily until she admitted things to him that he knew Prongs might find useful in his attempts to woo her. For instance, he discovered she was as madly obsessed with peanut butter as Remus was chocolate (definitely a Smart People quirk), couldn't bake to save her life, listened to Brian Slade albums when she was alone, hated roses but adored the flowers of her namesake, and on a memorable evening as she did Prefect duty and he followed her around mercilessly, that she wrote her very own erotic fiction and stashed it in a notebook underneath her mattress. "It doesn't count as plundering if you've done it yourself, y'know," he teased, tilting back his chair on two legs.

Lily really did hit him then, turning an even brighter red so that her face matched her hair. "You're disgusting; I don't know why I even deign to associate myself with you. Or, for that matter, why Lupin decides to either."

"Remus 'deigns to associate himself with me' because he likes it when I stick my co-"

"I get it!" Lily cut in, not wishing to hear anymore. "Now, please, just go away."

"Not until you tell me who you've let pluck your flower of innocence." Sirius merely smiled and beamed as she glared at him and the redhead growled unhappily.

"Fine. It was…" Sirius leaned closer, focusing intently on what she was saying and so didn't notice her foot sliding out and firmly shifting one of the precariously balanced legs of his chair. The Animagus fell promptly to the floor and Lily hurriedly snatched up her belongings. "I'll tell you when Hell freezes over, Black," she said sweetly, and left him there, chortling on the floor.

Sirius watched her go as he righted himself and his chair, ignoring Madam Pince's murderous looks. Lily Evans was an enigma; that was for sure. Just when he thought he'd gotten her pegged, she'd go and do something like knocking him onto the floor, and while his head was throbbing maliciously, he had to admit it was pretty funny. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to her than met the eye… Then again, he'd thought the same thing when he'd met Peter and so far he hadn't seen much he couldn't have guessed about him except that toast could be stored in any and every possible place.

When he finally made it up to the common room and shoved his way past the girls who seemed to think Remus just was a phase they could cure him of and had squeezed himself firmly into the lycan's armchair, he told James what he'd gathered. "She's not a virgin?" James spluttered, looking apoplectic with outrage.

"Apparently not," Remus replied, tilting his neck as Sirius nibbled at it, bored already with the subject of conversation. "Not that you can complain, because you aren't either," he added sharply.

"Yeah, but it's different!" James cried.

Peter nodded. "True. Evans is a girl, and they're supposed to wait until someone special comes…" He stopped talking at the look on Remus' face.

"It's the same damn thing, James," the lycan said coolly. "Stop being indignant and jealous that you won't be able to deflower her, it makes you look chauvinistic. Lily's perfectly allowed to sleep with whomever she likes. Besides, maybe it was really horrible and you'll be better than him."

James looked moderately mollified at these last words and stared into the fire for several long moments. "Yeah, but virgins are more fun…they don't know what to expect, so there's no pressure," he said at last.

"He's got a point, Mooney," Sirius replied. Remus shoved Sirius hard away from him. "Not that I believe it! I mean, think though, remember when we…y'know… It was our first time with another guy and I didn't have any expectations going into it. Now, however, I am accustomed to excellence."

"You two are pigs, y'know that?" he said, standing up, ignoring Sirius' pouty face. "And it may have been _your_ first time with another bloke, but that doesn't mean it wasn't mine." And with that, he stalked over to sit with Lily across the room.

Sirius rounded on James. "What did you have to go and say that for!?"

"Oh shut up, Padfoot, I didn't make you agree with me."

Sirius frowned and crossed his arms, sulking, and none of them spoke for the rest of the evening.

The next day, Remus was perfectly back to normal, and Sirius, unable to stay mad at his lupine lover, forgave all (though he'd made up his mind to show the boy a helluva good ride the next time they shagged, just for good measure).

The days melted together as snow piled up around the castle before slowly melting away, all the while, Remus' birthday edging nearer and nearer. It was one day, after last period Transfiguration about a week from the lycanthrope's special day, that Lily caught up to Sirius as he made his way out of the classroom with Remus on his arm, and asked him to hang back a moment.

Remus made a face at this, but didn't comment, as he headed to dinner with James and Peter (who also looked convincingly suspicious) and Sirius waited until Professor McGonagall had swept from the room as well before asking Lily what she wanted.

"The potion is done," she said in a low voice. She thrust a smallish bottle into his hands and Sirius immediately grinned brilliantly at her.

"Humping Hippogriffs, I effing _love_ you Ev-Lily!" he crowed, hugging her to him. Lily smiled at him; they had not become friends exactly, but they were no longer the almost-arch-rivals from before. "Remus is going to shit a brick when I give him this! Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!"

"Just don't use it to pull any elaborate pranks, please," she sighed, and Sirius grinned.

"C'mon, would I do that?"

"Yes," she retorted promptly, and Sirius laughed, knowing she was right. "Hopefully, I've done it right… I mean," she said, at the look on Sirius' face, "I'm sure I have…I did everything to the letter, so there's no reason it shouldn't be perfect."

"You're amazing…I promise you Lily, you are _never_ going to regret brewing this for me." He stooped and brushed his lips across her cheek in a completely platonic show of affection, and waved as he skipped off to dinner, stowing the bottle in his robes as he went.

Once he slid onto the bench between James and Remus, he pulled it covertly from his pocket. "Phase one of FTWL is complete," he murmured, and the others took it in turns to hold the bottle reverently in their hands.

"Y'know, I never actually thought we'd get to this part," Peter said conversationally, passing the potion back to Sirius, who placed it carefully in his pocket. "Looks like you're going to be getting lucky pretty soon Prongs!"

Remus, who was also rather shocked that they'd actually obtained the potion, leaned close to the Sirius' ear. "And he's not the only one, if you catch my drift," he murmured huskily against the Animagus' ear, winking as he turned back to his bangers and mash.

Needless to say, neither Remus nor Sirius got much sleep that night, and the others in the room tried to ignore the telltale shimmying of their bed.

XXX


	2. Chapter 2

**Felix Felicis **

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own Harry Potter, or any of the characters mentioned in this story, unless stated otherwise. Rated for possible sexual content, violence and language. Reader discretion is advised. Any similarities to real life are purely coincidence and I will not be held responsible! Thanks!

_**WARNING:**_ WILL CONTAIN MATURE THEMES (sex, swearing, etc), IMPLIED/MILD SLASH (male on male), BAD HUMOUR, POTION-MAKING (don't ask why you have to be warned about that), and RIDONKULUSNESS!! Ye be warned

**Author's Note: **WOOT! Here we are at chapter two!! : D I'm loving this fic, and part of it is already PREWRITTEN (yay-ness), so this should go up pretty fast! Always good stuffs. Muchos love! Review? 'Pretty green eyes…' Cheers!

XXX

Remus' eighteenth birthday party was what any well-planned Marauder party was…epic. There was music, copious amounts of illicitly gotten booze, plenty of games, and, since the lycan's birthday happened to land on a Sunday, more than a few studious people who'd gone to bed early to avoid the racket.

Sirius had presented Remus with his 'present' in the common room early (for a Sunday anyway) that morning, in full view of Lily. Remus acted dutifully surprised, even though he'd known months ago what it would be, practically screaming in delight and throwing his arms around Sirius' neck, knocking them both to the floor (after the Animagus had 'explained what it was').

"Oh my Godric, Padfoot, how did you _get_ this!?" Remus had cried between the kisses he was planting on any and every available inch of skin.

"It was all Lily…I told her ages ago what I wanted to get you and she made it for me!" Sirius said happily, taking the opportunity to squeeze his lover's rather delectable arse. Remus sat up, eyes dewy (Sirius was in awe of his acting skills), and looked at the grinning, pink-cheeked redhead.

"Did you really?" he breathed. She nodded and Remus got up to fling his arms around her too.

"Sirius had the idea though, and got all the ingredients, I just mixed them for him, because, as he so aptly put it, he's absolute rubbish at Potions, and we all know I'm number one." Remus released her and sat back down, gingerly setting the little bottle on top of the book James had gotten him.

Now, as evening drew to a close and the dark mantle of nighttime swept over Hogwarts, the revelry in the Gryffindor common room was hardly containable. Remus and Sirius were sitting in the same armchair, snogging as though their lives depended on it (bolstered by one too many Firewhiskeys on Remus' part) and grinding their growing erections together. Several other couples were doing likewise, Peter was attempting to chat up some pretty fifth years, and James was taking wagers on how long it would be until Remus and Sirius disappeared upstairs.

"Hey Evans, you want in on the action?" the messy-haired youth asked Lily who, tired of trying to keep control of the situation, was seated on the arm of her friend Mary Macdonald's chair, sipping idly at an alcohol spike beverage. He pointed toward Remus and Sirius. Lily opened her mouth to say no, she wouldn't touch him with a four thousand foot pole even if he were the last male on the _planet_, but James, sensing what she was about to say, laughed. "I mean _betting_ Evans, mind out of the gutter."

Lily blushed as she mentally chastised herself for jumping to the worst conclusion (again) about James Potter. He'd actually been very…normal toward her ever since she had agreed to brew the Felix Felicis for Sirius; apparently Black had kept his word about telling James to lay off hitting on her. Though if she were totally honest with herself (which was quite easy now that alcohol was firing through her brain) she'd rather missed it. Despite hating him, his flattery had been nice… To cover her embarrassment, she took a hearty gulp of her drink. "Er…sure. Put me down for two Galleons."

"And what number do you want? We're seeing who can guess the number of minutes before they jump each other and whoever gets closest without going over wins. It's already been ten minutes and everything up to seventeen is already taken."

"Hmm…" Lily looked with clinical curiosity at the two as they dry humped and kissed one another in blissful oblivion. "I'll have…twenty one."

James made a note on the piece of parchment he was keeping the bets on and Lily handed over her money, trying not to shiver as electricity seemed to jolt up her arm when their fingers brushed.

"Twenty one it is, Lily. Good luck!" James disappeared into the little knots of people, trying to find more takers for his betting ring, and Lily's eyes reluctantly watched him go.

"You like him. Just admit it already and say yes the next time he asks you out," said Mary suddenly, interrupting Lily's gazing.

"Wha-? I do not! And I'm _not_ going out with him, _ever_. He's…he's arrogant and self-loving and…and…"

"Gorgeous?" Mary supplied with a knowing smile. Lily, who was horrified to find herself blushing and mentally agreeing, hurriedly made to take a drink, realizing as she did her cup was empty.

"No," said Lily firmly, trying to convince herself at the same time. And with one last malevolent look at her friend, she went off in search of something else to drink. She eventually found something, and was making her way back to where she thought Mary might be (it was hard to tell through the mass of staggering and moving and dancing people) when there was much cheering and booing from somewhere just behind her.

Lily fought her way back through the many bodies and saw that Remus and Sirius had, finally, decided to get a room away from prying eyes, and headed upstairs hand in hand. Lily laughed, thinking that Remus' lucky potion would undoubtedly lead to more luck for his horny boyfriend. The next thing she knew, James was approaching her, smiling winningly and making her heart pound absurdly in her chest.

"You won Lily! It only took them twenty minutes and forty seven seconds." Lily laughed again as James passed her the little tin of shiny money. "Though really," he added, following her through the scores of people, many of whom were heading up to bed as well now that their shot at the money had passed, "it only took about fifteen minutes, as last I saw, Remus had his hand down Sirius' trousers and the horny gits were both halfway naked."

Still grinning, Lily took a swig from the glass in her hand, shuddering as she realized she hadn't put anything in with her whiskey. "Ugh, d'you want this James?"

She was holding out her glass, but James was merely staring at her looking completely thunderstruck. "Wh-what was that?"

"Do you want this?" Lily repeated. "I forgot to mix it with anything and it tastes horrid."

"No, I mean what did you just call me?" he asked slightly hoarsely as though he wasn't daring believe what he'd just heard.

"J-" Lily paused. She'd just called Potter James! "I said Potter."

However, a huge grin was unfurling on the bespectacled boy's face, and he felt a thrill of exhilaration course through him. "You called me James… You've never called me James! Ever!"

"I don't know what you're on about, James, I called you Potter."

"You just did it again!"

Lily kicked herself mentally trying to hide her face as she blushed. "I…it's…I didn't… It's because I'm drunk! Do you want this or not?" she snapped, waving the glass of amber liquid before him.

James gave her a smug little look as he took the drink from her (Lily tried to ignore the tingle as his fingers brushed hers again, putting it down to her inebriation). "Whatever you say Lily." He downed the contents of the glass in two noisy chugs and smiled at her. "So…good party eh?"

"Yeah," she replied, "not bad." Why was she acting like this? First feeling all…all excited when James – _Potter_ – touched her and then addressing him by his first name. If she didn't smarten up soon, he might start thinking she actually gave a damn about his existence! Because she didn't; not at all… He was arrogant and a toe-rag and self-absorbed and annoying and had really nice hazel eyes and was _quite_ fit and seemed to never stop grinning at her and actually really sexy and – DAMN!

"Lily? Hello? Earth to Lily…"

She shook her head to clear it of the traitorous thoughts and looked up at James. "What?"

"I asked you if you wanted to get another drink and sit down somewhere. Maybe…I dunno…talk or something? You looked like you spaced out on me there…"

"Yeah, sorry, I just…yeah. Yeah, let's go get drinks and…and sit." Lily led the way back to the drinks table and helped herself to another Firewhiskey-laced glass of punch wondering how much more foolish she would make herself look in front of James after this drink.

They managed to snag most of a couch (as it only contained one passed out third year, who James casually shoved into the furthest possible corner) and sat down, neither entirely sure what to say and compensating by drinking and staring into the fire.

"Can I ask you something?" Lily said suddenly. James looked over, slightly surprised.

"Sure, go for it."

"Why…I mean…well, you've stopped being so…forward, lately, and I was wondering…is it just because, y'know, I told Black to tell you to stop bothering me twenty-four seven, or have you…er…moved on?"

There was an inscrutable look on James' face, and Lily opened her mouth to dismiss the question, but before any words came out, the Animagus spoke. "I…well, I've fancied you for…ages, really. And obviously, none of my other attempts worked, so I just kind of…pulled back. To rethink my strategy and…stuff…"

"So you're saying you still…?" Lily hesitated, unsure if she had the guts to say the words 'fancy me' out loud. James, however, seemed to grasp what she meant. He chuckled and Lily found herself admiring the deep, husky sound.

"Yeah. Yeah, I do. You don't…mind, do you?" He hastily sipped his drink as though it might make her say she didn't.

Lily shrugged. "You can't help who you're attracted to, right? Why should I mind? Unless, of course, you start bothering the living shit out of me again…"

James smiled and made a mock-horrified face. "Did Prefect, Head Girl, top of the class in everything, Lily Evans just say shit?"

Lily smacked him playfully. "Be quiet, just because I don't swear doesn't mean I don't know how."

"Prove it."

Lily looked up into those achingly gorgeous hazel eyes that were alight with his challenge. "Excuse me?" she asked, trying to buy herself time to discern if he was pulling her leg or not.

"I said I want you to prove it. Prove you aren't so uptight."

"I…I don't have to prove myself to you."

"No, you don't," he agreed. "But I thought you were in Gryffindor for a reason…you're not _scared_ are you?"

Lily's jaw set and her eyes flashed the same way they did when she used to scream at him. "Fine. And since you're going to be a prick about it, I'm going to insult you with my impressive vocabulary of cuss words. I think you're a fucking bastard sometimes, and I think your head is stuck up your own ass _most_ of the time. You bother the shit out of me, though admittedly not as much lately, and you bitch about Severus Snape so much I'm surprised you can claim to hate his goddamn life. You ride around on your stupid ass broom and you make bad jokes about the size of your cock to your friends and which of the slags around here have the biggest tits, none of which are remotely amusing or even friggin' tasteful. I think you pretend don't give two flying fucks about what people think of you, but it's probably just an act so you don't have to admit you're actually a right little pussy about everything. Oh, and last but not least, I _know_ you've humped and dumped half the motherfucking female population, most of which were probably Black's sloppy seconds, because you couldn't have me, and I just wanted to say that you can be quite the man-whore." She took a fortifying drink and smiled sweetly at him. "That enough proof for you, Potter?"

James, who had been gaping since the first 'fuck', closed his mouth with a snap and after a slight pause, burst into laughter. "Do you have that written down somewhere? Merlin's balls, Lily, you're a right firecracker, y'know that?"

Lily merely smiled. "I know."

The common room emptied slowly around them, but James and Lily stayed up with the people who had passed out on the floor or various chairs, talking, as one drink became four and four drinks became an entire bottle of Ogden's best. It was a few hours before dawn, and both were elaborately drunk, when Lily finally decided she should go upstairs and attempt to sleep. She stood on wobbly colt's legs, grateful for James' steadying arm (even though he was having his own balance issues).

He walked her to the door that lead to the girl's dormitories above and they stood there awkwardly for a moment. "So…I actually had fun tonight James," Lily said finally, and James smiled; he was glad she'd had fun with him and even more pleased she'd used his first name again.

"Good, I'm glad," he replied, hardly slurring his words at all. "Well…I'll see you tomorrow I guess."

Lily nodded and looked up, meeting his eyes for what had to be the thousandth time that night and still being awed by their beauty. Her heart was thudding loudly against her bosom and she felt a trickle of anxious excitement as he leaned toward her and knew he was going to kiss her. She shocked herself by actually not caring, but _wanting_ him to kiss her. But as her eyes closed, his mouth moved past hers and he planted a chaste kiss on her cheek, much as a friend would when parting another friend's company. "Night Lily." And leaving her standing by the door, he turned and headed up to his own bed.

Lily stood rooted to the spot for several more minutes, the place where James had kissed her on the cheek warmer than the rest of her, feeling confused and a little crestfallen. Deciding to think about it the next day, she sighed and headed up to bed, knowing morning would come all too quickly.

XXX

Classes were hell for both Lily and James the next day, and for the first time in the history of her magical school career, Lily Evans fell asleep in class (though admittedly it _was_ a rather boring Ancient Runes lesson). Feeling slightly better after her nap, she headed up to the common room for her free period, and saw Remus and James talking in low voices, apparently having some sort of argument.

"Look," said Remus in a tone that most (if not all) wouldn't dare defy. "I know what you think, Prongs, but just trust me, it'll work, okay?"

"But I'm not-"

"No!" Remus, who had seen Lily approaching up the corridor, was keen for the conversation to be over. "You've agreed to do it and that's that! Now I have to go to class."

James sighed and rubbed his hands over his eyes in an exhausted sort of way before catching sight of Lily and perking up slightly. "Hey Lily, looks like you had a rough night."

She grinned as they stepped through the portrait hole (the Fat Lady having received her password of 'shenanigans'). "You too Potter. You look like utter crap…no offence."

"None taken. So am I to assume the lapse in calling me 'Potter' was a one night deal?"

Lily plonked comfortably down in an armchair she seriously considered never moving from again. "Hmm…maybe. Get me that plastered again and we'll see." James laughed and Lily, despite being completely sober (albeit completely knackered though) found herself admiring the sound of his deep, rumbling amusement again. She put it down to being over-tired and still hung over.

"So you don't have class?" she asked, in an attempt to break the thick, rather uncomfortable silence.

"Nope. Though I'll forgive the fact you haven't noticed it for the entire year on the basis that I usually go out to the Quidditch pitch for training. Or relaxation; whatever my mental situation warrants, really."

"You think flying is relaxing?" Lily asked, the tone of her voice hinting that she might just reconsider her assumptions on his sanity. To Lily, books and silence and sunshine in the even greater _in_doors were relaxing. Not zooming around in the air, seconds away from possible death at every moment with only an enchanted Muggle cleaning contraption keeping you from that eternal sleep or at least a horrifically gruesome injury or two.

"Absolutely," James replied, smiling at her expression and Lily felt her heart flutter slightly in her chest. "There's nothing like whipping through the air when you need to think, up there away from it all with just the clouds and the bright blue sky overhead. It's amazing at clearing my head. Or if I'm stressed or angry, nothing helps more than whipping a Quaffle around. Even if I'm perfectly happy, there's nothing better than flying. It's freedom." James, who had casually turned to look out the window at the vaguely drizzly day, suddenly smirked. "Unless it's crappy outside. Then flying isn't _quite_ as much fun."

Lily opened her mouth to reply, but no words would come out. She'd known James was mad about Quidditch since first year, but she'd never realized that his love of flying was just that: unequivocal _love_. The passion with which he spoke about it was more endearing to her than a thousand sentimental words. A blush suffused her cheeks as a sudden thought struck her. If he talked about flying like this, she wondered, how does he talk about _me_? But then common sense kicked in, reminding her that he was probably in love with Quidditch and his broom and flying, and he certainly wasn't in love with _her_. He just wanted in her knickers. Yes; that had to be it. Her voice returning with the last thought, she said finally (wondering how gormless she must've looked just then), "You really love it. I can tell. Flying that is…"

Suddenly, James' smile faded, replaced by a look of intense honesty, and it threw Lily a little. "I do. It is second to only one thing in my heart." His lopsided grin (seeming to mimic his glasses) reappeared.

Lily was about to ask what was number one in his heart, hating herself for hoping and knowing that she would only be disappointed for it. But before she could articulate the thought, Mary Macdonald sat on the arm of Lily's chair, pleading for the redhead to help her with an agonizingly long Potions essay that she'd left to the last minute and knew Lily had already completed. James didn't comment on the interruption. He merely continued to smile crookedly at Lily as Mary dragged her away, her gaze looking apologetic and regretful.

Much later that evening, as Lily sat trying to help a manic Mary write her essay, James and the other Marauders were upstairs in the dorm, discussing tactics for when, how and where it would be best to feed James the Felix Felicis, still in its little bottle atop the Marauders' Map, so he could ask Lily out. They had decided to rule out the initial idea, as it would seem highly suspicious if James became interested in such mundane things as the Prefect schedule after not caring for most of the year, and the last thing anyone involved wanted was Lily catching on to the plan.

"I say we just give it to him before breakfast tomorrow so he can ask her out in the Great Hall," said Sirius. Peter nodded at this idea, but Remus grimaced.

"Yeah, but we would still have four days of class until the Hogsmeade weekend if we did that. I think he should do it at lunch on Friday, because then there will be the least possible amount of time for him to wreck things afterward. No offence, of course, Prongs."

James, who was staring out the window with a vacantly thoughtful expression, looked around. "Huh? What?"

"You dolt! You mean to tell us you haven't been paying any attention to anything we've just said?" Sirius cried, outraged, throwing a pillow at his friend.

James looked sheepish as he easily caught the pillow. "I dunno if this is such a good plan anymore…" he said slowly.

"You were all for it at the start of term!"

James glared. "Don't make me destroy another muffin pyramid." Sirius shut up. "It's just…well at the start of term, it looked as though Lily was never going to talk to me again…but now… We actually had a conversation today! And it didn't involve any yelling! And…well…she calls me by my first name now. I can't trick her into going out with me."

Remus rolled his time for the four thousand, eight hundred and fifty-sixth time at him. "You _aren't_ tricking her. Just…tweaking the circumstances…it's perfectly fine. Besides, if it took you Merlin knows how many years just to get her to _talk_ to you, you'll be ninety by the time you ask her out and she accepts! And personally, I'm not going to wait that long; you two are too perfect together and it's driving me nuts."

James sighed, flopping back onto his bed. "Fine, I guess."

"Good," said Remus with a sanctimonious little nod. "Now, like I was saying, we'll feed you the potion Friday at lunch, and you'll ask her out…" James zoned out again, returning to his contemplation of the darkened sky outside his window, letting Remus and the others decide on the specifics of the plan. All his mind seemed capable of at that moment was the look Lily had given him earlier when Mary had disrupted their conversation. She had seemed sincerely sorry that she wouldn't be able to continue talking to him… Was it possible that she…liked him?

XXX

Friday dawned surprisingly sunny, a good omen, and James was even less attentive in classes than normal. He was too excited about lunch and the prospect of having Lily accept his proposal of a date in Hogsmeade the next day, to settle to much of anything. Finally, the bell rang in Charms, and there was the usual bustle of people heading down to the Great Hall to eat. James followed his friends through the throngs in the corridors to the common room and up to their dorm, his stomach suddenly turning to a fluttering mass of butterflies.

"Okay, now remember," said Remus, uncorking the little bottle of golden potion and passing it to him with a serious expression. "You just have to ask her out, don't do anything else. Don't push your luck, because knowing Lily, she'll figure out that you've taken the potion and just say no."

James nodded. Remus had been talking about nothing else all day, and it was hard to communicate to the lycan that he _got it_ without being exceedingly rude. He swallowed a mouthful of the potion and passed the bottle back. The remaining contents, they had decided, would be kept for emergencies, although each of them had plans of what those emergencies might be. (Peter planned to sneak some before his NEWT examinations, Sirius planned to take some during his boyfriend's revision weeks to get him to loosen up so he could get laid, and Remus planned to take a swig when he went to find a job after graduation. James was torn between gulping the rest down before the last game of the season and the next day when he'd have his date.)

Slowly, he felt a sense of exhilarating possibilities shiver through him, and winning Lily's company for the next day seemed laughably easy, if not a genuine certainty. He grinned and lead the way down to the Great Hall, delighting to discover a smattering of seats right next to where Lily sat, trying to console Mary that her future wasn't ruined because of one bad Potions essay.

"Hey Lily," he said breezily, sliding into the available seat next to her as Peter plonked down beside him and Remus and Sirius took the free seats across from them. He grinned at Lily's flush and Mary's smug look.

"Hello James."

"So," he said conversationally, tipping a generous helping of macaroni and cheese onto his plate, "I was wondering if I could ask you something."

"Sure," said Lily carefully, having to look away from those mesmerizing eyes lest she do something stupid like ask him out. _That _would be bad, especially as she hadn't told anyone she rather wanted to go out with James now he wasn't being such a prick.

"Well," he said, gaze flicking across to meet the unashamed green of her eyes, "I was just wondering…since we've been getting on so well lately, if you… D'youwanttogotoHogsmeadewithmetomorrow?" Somehow, he didn't know how, he felt it would be best if she asked him to repeat so he could be bashful and awkward. The potion seemed to indicate this would be best, as she would find him more adorable.

Lily looked at him, hoping that in the rapidity of his question she had misheard him. "Come again?" she said slightly hoarsely, hating that her voice wavered in her anxious excitement at him asking her out. She was supposed to hate Potter! What was she doing, thinking of accepting his offer? Had she completely lost her mind?

James smiled sheepishly, looking beyond adorable, and her heart melted a little more. I…well… d'you want to…I dunno…come into Hogsmeade with me tomorrow? Maybe?"

Immediately, a large portion of Lily's mind screamed YES!! But if she said yes, reasoned a rather smaller part of her mind, half the bloody school would hear, as most of the people in the vicinity were looking round as it was, no doubt expecting to hear some kind of witty, cutting retort about her preference to the Giant Squid over James Potter. And Lily really didn't think she would be able to stand the gawking and gaping if she accepted eagerly, like she wanted to. "I…umm…c-can…can I think about it?" she stuttered, unable to meet his eyes, knowing that if she did, she'd just say yes immediately.

Mary was glaring threateningly at her and Remus, Sirius and Peter's jaws dropped. Whispering erupted all around them, wondering what had come over her to act so sensibly, no doubt.

James, who was slightly thrown, muttered yeah, and looked down at his plate. Suddenly, he wasn't very hungry. He stood up and caught up his bag, wanting nothing more than to get away from the shocked faces of his friends and the growing whispers around him. He sped from the Great Hall, oblivious to the stares of everyone in a ten-foot radius, feeling sick. He'd thought Lily had actually liked him now. Maybe not the same way as he liked her, but maybe at least enough to accept his date proposal if he'd downed some lucky potion. But he was _wrong_. There was no doubt in his mind that she really did hate him, and not even a stupid mouthful of Felix Felicis could change that.

Lily felt her cheeks burning hotter and hotter the longer she sat there, staring at her food. She'd lost her chance with James as surely as she was going to lose her mind if she kept sitting there. He'd probably worked up to that moment for days, she thought miserably, and she'd gone and said no and probably wrecked her one shot at being with him. Just because of her stupid pride. Suddenly furious at herself, Lily stood, muttering some excuse to Mary about homework she had to do, and followed in James wake out of the hall.

Tears welled up in her eyes, blinding her to wherever she might be headed, and it was pure instinct that brought her up to the common room. She should have listened to that giant part of her brain that told her to accept on the spot, but no, she'd had to ask for time to _think_ about it (like she hadn't been thinking about it non-stop since Remus' birthday party) and now she'd gone and fucked it all up.

"Shenanigans," she muttered to the Fat Lady, who swung forward, and she stepped into the common room blindly, walking smack into someone as they were leaving. "Sorry," she murmured automatically.

"It's fine," said a familiar voice, and Lily looked up through the haze of moisture that gathered on her eyelashes. There, standing in front of her, waiting for her to move, was James, his broomstick over his shoulder.

"James?"

James looked at her, hating the tears and that marred the beauty of those eyes, looking confused. "Lily?"

"I'm sorry! Oh Godric, I'm so sorry…I…I never meant to…" she couldn't go on, the sense of despair choking her, and she did the only thing she could think of to stop James walking out on her again, and flung her arms around his neck, clinging to him.

James stood there, frozen, hardly daring to believe what was happening. Then his free arm came around her, holding her against him as her tears steadily dampened his shirt. "Shh, it's okay…it's all okay, don't cry Lily," he whispered, feeling completely out of his element but following the potion's lead.

"No it's not!" Lily wailed. "You h-hate me! I wanted to say yes, I really did, but I didn't want everyone listening in and now I've lost my chance!"

"You…you wanted to say yes?" James whispered, shock numbing his brain.

Lily nodded against his chest. "Ask me again," she said, voice slightly muffled by his chest and shirt. "Please, James, ask me again…"

"Lily, will you come with me into Hogsmeade?" James was hardly conscious of speaking the words; his lips felt like someone else had control of them, and he didn't dare breathe as he waited on tenterhooks for her answer.

Lily, trying to regain some sense of composure, pulled back slightly, wiped her eyes, and looked up into those gorgeous eyes. "Yes. Yes, I'll go into Hogsmeade with you." The next thing she knew, James had cast away his precious broomstick and was crushing her against his chest and waves of relief crashed over her. She hadn't missed her chance!

"Fuck, Lily, you have no idea, _no idea_, how happy you've just made me." She smiled a watery little smile into his shirt, silently disagreeing, as her own arms tightened around him. It was then that they realized they were standing in the middle of an empty room, hugging, and broke apart, blushing.

"So," Lily said, clearing her throat, "I'll um…see you tomorrow then." She flashed a timid smile, and stepped past him, trying not to feel as stupid as she thought she must've just sounded.

James picked up his broom again, placing it over his shoulder and feeling a renewed sense of exhilaration (not to mention adoration of Lily's potion brewing skills). He had a date with Lily Evans! Then it hit him. He had a _date_…with _Lily Evans_. He was so fucked.

XXX


	3. Chapter 3

**Felix Felicis **

**DISCLAIMER: **I do NOT own Harry Potter, or any of the characters mentioned in this story, unless stated otherwise. Rated for possible sexual content, violence and language. Reader discretion is advised. Any similarities to real life are purely coincidence and I will not be held responsible! Thanks!

_**WARNING:**_ WILL CONTAIN MATURE THEMES (sex, swearing, etc), IMPLIED/MILD SLASH (male on male), BAD HUMOUR, POTION-MAKING (don't ask why you have to be warned about that), and RIDONKULUSNESS!! Ye be warned

**Author's Note: **chapter three; already been written; not much else to say right now. LOL. LOVE to reviewers! Drop me another? : D 'Paralyzed by the same old antics…' Cheers!

PS. – I know, ridiculous, but for reasons known only to me (and even that's questionable) here we are. I wrote a bit of this while stoned. I think the Hogsmeade trip maybe was it. And some after…so apologies if that bothers you/you think that part sucks. That's it. Oh and do you ever wish you had three arms to eat cereal with while you type? NOW that's it.

XXX

"So you're saying-"

"For the last time, _yes_!" hissed James impatiently. As soon as he was seated in Transfiguration, both Remus and Sirius had pounced on him (Peter was in Muggle Studies and so unable to), demanding to know what was up. James, who had recounted what had happened after Lily had left the Great Hall, was sick of answering their questions as to whether the date was on or not. "We're going out tomorrow, geez. The way you two go on, you'd think you had nothing better to do than take an interest in my love life."

Remus glared at him over the frog he had partially transfigured into a bunny while the frog looked gloomily around the classroom, his white, fluffy ears twitching. "You know, I don't think I'm ever going to help you with anything again. You're a right arse when I try to do nothing but help you."

Sirius tapped his own frog and it croaked as it reformed itself into a rabbit. "Look, let's all just calm down, shall we?" The others looked at him as though he'd lost what little sanity he'd been clinging to. "What? Look, James got his date, why are you two being snippy? Now all we have to do is make sure he doesn't cock it up royally and then Prongs and Evans can go snogging off into the sunset."

Remus sighed, shaking his head, and returned to his rabbit-frog. He tapped it again and several whiskers sprouted from the frog's snout. "So when are you two going into Hogsmeade then?"

"Dunno," James replied, turning his own rabbit back into the rather fat bullfrog it had been minutes previously for the fun of it. "In the morning I 'spose. We didn't really talk about it."

"Well make sure you do, because you have to be at the Three Broomsticks. Peter's going to be waiting for you." James merely nodded, as Professor McGonagall came by at that moment to see them working their spells.

It was cloudy and rain threatened to fall the next day, but James didn't care. He woke early to decide what to wear, and after dressing carefully, followed Peter down to breakfast and ignored the faint giggling and muffled sounds from Remus and Sirius' bed. His heart was pounding a violent tattoo against his ribs when he sat down, catching Lily's eye and grinning shiftily. They had decided to head out just after breakfast, both very keen (though they didn't tell the other) to spend as much time as possible together.

They met up in the Entrance Hall, and waited as Filch signed people out, glaring malevolently at James when they left (as the Animagus and his friends had made Filch's job a living hell since he'd started in their second year). "Looks like it might rain," said James conversationally as they strolled up the path from the school to the village. Then he realized he was talking about the _weather_ and kicked himself mentally.

"Yeah," Lily mused, hardly aware of what she had just agreed to; but even if she had voted for the demolition of the library to build a second Quidditch pitch, she wouldn't have cared either way. Her fingers had accidentally brushed James' as they walked and the resulting jolt of something electric had rendered her incoherent. She was having enough trouble simply breathing and walking normally, let alone thinking and speaking.

"So where d'you want to head first?" James asked after they had reached the village in silence, both consumed with their thoughts. He, of course, had the plan of which places they were to visit, but thought it polite to at least ask Lily's preference.

"Oh, umm…let's go to Honeydukes, I've been meaning to get some brain food. Sugar," she added, smiling at James' confusion. "You know, when I'm up late studying and doing Head Girl stuff…it often helps to be wired on far too much sugar."

James smiled back at her and let her lead the way to the sweet shoppe. They were almost at the door when their fingers brushed again and Lily turned red, hoping he didn't notice. But as it happened, James did notice and, swallowing thickly (his throat was sudden bone dry), he tentatively reached for her hand. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, as she didn't immediately pull her own hand away, and instead she entwined their fingers and gave him a dazzling smile that made his insides squirm delightedly.

He opened the door for her and she pulled him into the store, heading straight for the display of Sugar Quills. "Ooh, look they have raspberry flavoured ones!" she squealed delightedly, and plucked a fat one from the middle of the jar. "Oh Merlin," Lily suddenly muttered, dropping the Sugar Quill and tugging James slightly unceremoniously toward a corner of the shop, staring transfixed at the large pile of peanut butter fudge heaped underneath a sign marked (every girl's favourite word) SALE.

The redhead gave a soft moan of pure longing and reached out to caress the fudge reverently. James, who felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck and his spine tingle at the sound she made, smiled amusedly. "I'm guessing you like peanut butter fudge?" he teased.

"I _love_ it…and it's on _sale_! Do I have enough to get some?" she murmured, rooting in her pockets, but before she could do more than count two Sickles, James had waved the proprietor over, and asked how much the fudge was.

"How much for the lot of it?" he asked indicating the fudge. The kind-faced man looked somewhat shocked.

"A-all of it?"

"Yes," said James, pulling out several fat Galleons.

"Ten Galleons and it's yours," said the proprietor, looking distinctly grateful that James was willing to take all the excess fudge off his hands. The shining money changed hands and the now grinning shopkeeper conjured a large paper bag, even going so far as to help James put the candy in the bag, all under the wide, slightly confused eyes of Lily Evans.

As soon as the man was gone, Lily seemed to find her voice. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

James goggled at her. "What? N-nothing…"

"Then why did you just buy all the effing fudge? You knew I was going to buy some! Merlin, why I ever even decided to go on this stupid date with you I'll n- _Why are you laughing_!?"

James tried to control his mirth, but it was difficult in the extreme. The look of outraged indignation was so incredibly endearing and adorable to him that he hadn't been able to help his laughter. "I…bought it…for you," he panted, biting his inner lip hard to keep himself from laughing. He couldn't control the smile, though, when her outrage turned to shock and then to blushing embarrassment.

"Oh…you…I'm sorry. But really, you don't have to do that, I would have bought my-"

"You said you love it. I love you, thus love what you love, thus eight kilos of fudge." Lily laughed to cover the warmth that seemed to seep through her body at him saying he loved her. She tried not to think what he was going to say the time he had professed he loved only one thing more than dear precious flying before Mary pulled her away.

"Well let me at least buy _you_ something, …" she mumbled to cover her delight.

"Well as a matter of fact, I had my eye on that raspberry Sugar Quill now you mention it. It _is_ a favourite. And then I'll taste like raspberries and you'll taste like peanut butter and together we'll taste amazing!"

Six months ago that comment would have earned him a good hexing or at least shouting, but now all Lily did was giggle, take his hand again, and pull him back over to the Sugar Quills. She bought two and they left the sweet shoppe with grins (and Lily with pink cheeks). "Well now it's your choice. Where to?" she asked, linking their fingers as they strolled leisurely down the High Street.

"Let's pop in the Three Broomsticks. Have an early lunch maybe?" he talked easily, which was surprising, as his heart was beating loudly in his chest from her proximity. He hoped his hand wasn't sweaty like he expected it might be…

Lily grinned, feeling her own heart thudding against her breast. "Sounds great! Mary said she and the girls might be there around then so we can say hi." Lily kept smiling as they continued at their sedate pace towards the pub, hoping to Merlin and anything else holy that her palms weren't as sweaty as she suspected they were.

The Animagus could only gulp, hoping he would get a table near Peter. Though, he mused, he hadn't cocked up yet… There had been that little ripple over the fudge but he had smoothed it out all right… But then again, he hadn't been surrounded by her giggling girlfriends, one of whom he felt he might've made out drunkenly with (and then felt up in the broom cupboard later on) once.

When they got in, the place was crowded and noisy as usual on a Hogsmeade weekend, with various students drinking and chattering in clumps. James spotted Peter at a back table, but he had (possibly unwisely) chosen one in the corner, and was cut off by a group of smoking warlocks who laughed and jeered and added to most of the din. He barely suppressed a groan as Mary waved them over eagerly, spotting the dark-haired blue-eyed friend he'd (most likely) snogged, amongst the others.

Mary, who looked pointedly at Lily as she saw her friend's companion, smiled brightly. "I didn't know you were coming James, or we would've saved you a seat."

"No problem," said the blue eyed girl who James recalled being named Chloe De-Something-or-other. She was clearly enjoying James' discomfort as she waved her wand and a chair materialized for him. "It's easily remedied. Have a seat."

Lily, who looked positively radiant, sat and James had no choice but to sit beside her. "So we were just talking about the Defence lesson yesterday," Mary said at once, "and I don't know about the rest of you, but I think it's asking a little much for us to be able to make Patronuses. Even if it is our NEWT year…"

"Hmm," said Lily, non-committal. "But I suppose it's for the best what with all the things that've been happening…"

"Oh you're not telling me you believe Dumbledore's conspiracy theories, are you Lily?" asked a blonde girl from Ravenclaw. "I thought you were smarter than that."

Lily cast Mary (who immediately looked chastised) a furtive disgruntled look before turning back to the blonde. "As a matter of fact, I _do_. And we'll see who's smarter when Dumbledore is right."

"I agree," said James suddenly. "What does Dumbledore have to gain for saying what he does? If these things really are down to You Know Who and his Death Eaters or whatever, he's going to be the one they'll target, won't he? It only makes sense that he's telling the truth because why would he lie about something he would get killed for?" Many of the girls looked impressed by this argument and their demeanor changed slightly toward James. The blonde, however, turned a blotchy sort of red and stood up, dragging another Ravenclaw friend James recognized as taking Potions with Lily and Mary with her, muttering about drinks. Lily looked smug and turned a thankful smile on him.

"I honestly think I might hate her," said Lily conversationally. Several girls tittered and James smiled. Mary merely rolled her eyes however, and announced she was going to get a round.

"Anyone want something? Cough up, because I'm not paying either." Most passed Mary money with requests for Butterbeer, including Lily, and James handed over some coins for a Firewhiskey. Mary raised a brow but didn't say anything as she headed to the gleaming bar.

The crowds ebbed and flowed around them and most of Lily's friends drifted away after a while, but James and Lily and Mary remained. The messy haired youth had persuaded the redhead to have something stronger than Butterbeer as he nursed his own drink and before they realized it, it was getting on into the afternoon.

"Wish I could find a date," said Mary disconsolately.

"I have a mate whose single," said James, perking up at this. Maybe he could work this date to more advantage than his own.

"Yeah?' said Mary, looking up.

"Sure. Peter's not had a girl in…ever." Mary made a face and James couldn't help but smile.

"I was hoping you'd tell me it was Sirius."

"Sorry, but he's taken. And not to mention gayer than a maypole."

"James!" said Lily, looking scandalized.

"What? He knows it too; said so himself in fact, several times. I love him but he's as poufy as they come." Lily laughed and Mary sighed dejectedly.

"Hey," said James as Lily finished her drink, "um, d'you want to go get a coffee?" Mary smirked and stood up before her friend could reply, murmuring about homework and somewhat needing something from someplace nearby or something, before exiting swiftly. Lily tried not to sound too eager as she accepted, and they exited the pub with candy in tow, hands linking again as they wandered up to Madam Puddifoot's.

It was as horrible as James remembered it, and was glad to see that Lily looked somewhat nauseated by the excess frills and lace and _girlishness_ of the place too. "I know, it's as camp as a row of tents, but we must take what we can get," he murmured as they wended their way to a table. The owner (who one could only assume was Puddifoot herself) somehow managed to squeeze over to them despite her plump curvaceous-ness (though admittedly she almost knocked a timid-looking fourth year's face into his girlfriend's with her ample bosom).

James glanced surreptitiously around but there was no sign of either Remus or Sirius in the crammed little café. They ordered their coffees (James waving away Lily's attempt to go Dutch), and the woman summoned two mugs and a large pot of java, pouring it out for them and smiling before bustling away.

"So," said Lily, trying to distract herself from the pink, lacey tablecloth and the couple exchanging kisses at the next table, "d'you think Gryffindor will win the Cup?"

James, who could only assume she meant the House Cup, pulled a face. "Not with Filch breathing down our necks and those slimy Slytherin prefects taking points every ten minutes." Lily looked confused. "Wait…what?"

"I meant the Quidditch Cup!"

"Oh." He laughed to disguise his embarrassment, and grinned. "Absolutely. All we've got to do is hope Slytherin lose to Hufflepuff, which won't be hard if they keep playing Regulus as Seeker, and then thrash the bejesus out of Ravenclaw. No problem. I, er… I didn't know you followed Quidditch," he added tentatively.

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, Potter. I've never missed a game." James looked impressed and Lily smiled.

"Wow… I've never missed a game either, unless you count the time Avery got me with the Bludger to the head, but…you? Never would've guessed."

"Well admittedly I probably should've used the time to study or something, but ever since I was in first year and discovered brooms and I can never see eye to eye on that whole flying business, I've watched. I'm so jealous because it looks so easy and fun…for those who aren't terrified the whole time anyway."

"You mean you didn't come to watch me because you've secretly been in love with me for ages?' James asked, mock pouting before grinning across the table at her.

Lily blushed hard, though James pretended not to notice, and looked up at the Animagus from under her lashes. "You were part of it I guess," she said softly. James fought the uprising joy inside of him that threatened to make him do something stupid like grin goofily or try to kiss her. But the longer he looked at her, the more the idea started to take root in his mind. Kissing Lily…he'd almost done it on Remus' birthday, and it had taken all his willpower just to brush the obscene softness of her cheek, but he had thought it rude to take advantage of her when she was drunk. But Lily wasn't drunk right now. Sure, she'd had one drink, but that was far from a third of a bottle of Firewhiskey, and she was just sitting there, gazing up at him through those thickly curling eyelashes, her mouth parted slightly, and looking tempting as all sin. James found himself unconsciously leaning forward, not daring to hope he wasn't imagining her mouth lifting toward his, caught up in the intensity of her gaze.

The perfect, shining moment of anticipation was broken as the bell over the door tinkled, and all James got was a tempting waft of Lily's perfume as she turned her head to look at the newcomers. A smug-looking, rumple-haired Sirius crossed the threshold with a sheepish Remus attached to him by the hand following. There were several mutters; many people still didn't like the fact that Remus and Sirius were so open and blatantly public with their sexuality, despite the fact the two had been dating most of the school year. It was only muttering though, and easily ignorable, and who cared if a haughty Slytherin couple actually got up and left at their arrival, leaving the table next to James and Lily's and the window free.

"Prongs!" Sirius cried in not-really-surprised-surprise, disrupting the couples nearest him who unglued themselves from each other to glare. "Or no, wait…who are you? The Lily Evans _I_ know would never be on a date with you."

"Shut up Sirius," said Remus, grinning, and sitting in the recently vacated seat, pulling his boyfriend down with him. "One, you don't know Lily at all, and two, people are staring."

"They're staring," Sirius purred heatedly against his lover's ear, "because they probably just heard you screaming as I ravaged your good sense in the alleyway."

James, who hadn't heard his best mate's last comment (thank Merlin), was barely restraining himself from throwing the sugar bowl at the grinning dark-haired youth, as Lily smiled amusedly at the antics (as she _had_ heard the comment Black had made and was delighted at Remus' flaming cheeks).

"Ooh candy!" Sirius cried suddenly seizing James' Honeydukes' bag and rifling through it eagerly.

"So what _are_ you two doing here?" asked Remus, waving away Madam Puddifoot's offers of refreshment.

"Just having a coffee," said Lily trying not to look as though she really wanted to shout 'ALMOST KISSING JAMES POTTER!!!'

"Lily's been telling me about her secret burning passion for Quidditch," said James teasingly gently lifting her fingers from the tabletop and caressing them absently, hoping his friends would take the hint and leave them alone again, as Sirius' abnormally messy head popped back out of his bag.

He was holding a bar of the fudge. "Why is there nothing but fudge in this bag? And not even of the super delicious double chocolate variety?" He smirked suddenly. "Thinking of becoming a fudge packer?" James snatched it back.

"Because that's not for you, you dolt! It's Lily's."

"So Evans - apologies, _Lily_ - is thinking of becoming a fudge packer then?" he giggled. Lily's eyes rolled in time with Remus'.

"Don't be vulgar Sirius," the lycan sighed as Lily said, "Only if you mean packing that fudge into my gob." They all laughed, and a casual atmosphere settled itself around them. Lily excused herself to use the loo a few moments later, and Sirius and Remus turned anxiously to their Quidditch- and redhead-obsessed friend.

"How's it going?" Remus asked. "Please tell me you haven't done anything monumentally stupid…"

James looked as though the mere thought of him doing something monumentally stupid or even _anything_ short of amazing was purest insult. "It's actually been quite lovely. There was a bit of an weird moment when Chloe What's Her Face, y'know, the perky (he held his hands in front of his chest to indicate bosoms) friend of Lily's-"

"The one you had in the broom cupboard last year?" Sirius asked. James nodded, wanting to deck the smirk off his friend's face.

"Well she was with a whole bunch of other birds when we got to the Three Broomsticks, and I couldn't get a table near Peter, but it turned out all right. I ended up insulting someone Lily's dislikes apparently." Remus looked relieved and Sirius mildly shell-shocked that Lily Evans was capable of disliking anyone but himself and James. "So where the deuce were you two when we got here, anyway?" James asked, lifting his mug of java to his lips.

Remus blushed as Sirius said nonchalantly, "Oh, we had to get some air." James merely looked his confusion. Sirius rolled his eyes, sighing melodramatically. "Fine, if you _must_ know all the gory details, I had to take Mooney out back and shag him senseless because he was getting me all hot and bothered in here. Happy?"

The bespectacled Animagus gagged on his coffee, barely refraining from spewing it obscenely into Sirius' face. "Too much…information," he coughed, hastily wiping the coffee from his chin.

"You're the one that asked."

"Regrettably."

Lily reappeared then, not noticing that her date had just breathed in a fair-sized quantity of hot caffeinated beverage, and sat primly down again across from James. "So now that I've got you all here, or most of you anyway, I wanted to ask something," she said, sipping her coffee. "I've been meaning to ask you, Remus, for ages, but I always seemed to get sidetracked. What's with the ridiculous nicknames you call each other? What's the reference?"

The change was instantaneous; it was as though a Dementor had walked (or rather, _glided_) through the door to the little café. Where before the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, it became suddenly tense and chilly, and for the first time all day, Lily felt out of place, intrusive upon the tight-knit group of Marauders. The smirks slid off of James and Sirius' faces and Remus looked uncharacteristically somber, a ghost of the look he'd worn most of their first year. Hs boyfriend took his hand under the table, and squeezed it gently.

"Or…" said Lily timidly, "well, never mind, you don't have to tell me, I'm sure it's nothing… I was just curious…" She hastily gulped her coffee to cover the sticky moment. For some reason, both James and Sirius were looking to Remus, as though it was down to him to decide whether Lily should get her answer or not.

"No, it's fine," said Remus finally, talking in a slightly stiff voice. "But I'd rather not tell you in here. In fact, it's getting late, I think we should head up to school; I'll tell you on the way Lily."

Lily hesitated; clearly the subject was a touchy one, and though she doubted she was the first one to ask, she clearly sensed she was one of the few people who would get a straight (metaphorically anyway) answer. Only now that she was at this crossroads, did she really _want_ the truth? Of course, she told herself brusquely. It was _Remus_, how bad could it possibly be?

XXX

The lycan waited until they were well out of the village, about half way back to the school, before he made any attempt to explain things; he only hoped he wouldn't wreck James' chances of being with the flamboyant redhead. Not only would all of his careful planning to get the two together be wasted, but also she would know the deepest, darkest truth about him that only a handful of people in his life knew. And, armed with this knowledge, she could effectively turn him into more of a social outcast than he currently considered himself; not that he expected Lily to be so harsh. Then again, he'd been fooled once, and he'd be damned if he'd be made a fool of again.

"When I was a child," he said slowly, "I had an…accident. A very terrible accident that left me…mutilated." Sirius made a little sniff of disagreement at this remark, but let it lie for the time being. Lily's eyes went wide.

"Oh my god! Were you okay? I mean, obviously you're alive but…but…" Then something seemed to clunk into place in Lily's brain, a half-remembered conversation with an almost completely forgotten friend drifted to the fore of her memory, and in a heartbeat she understood. "It's true," she whispered, stopping dead in her tracks.

For the briefest of moments, something akin to revulsion flickered across her face and then a surge of shame at thinking she couldn't, _wouldn't_, be able to still be friends with Remus despite his…affliction, washed over her. Then her good heart took control of her shrewdly calculating head, and Lily pulled Remus into a hug. "Oh Remus!" she breathed.

The lycan, who was stunned (as it wasn't everyday people hugged him after finding out about his monthlies), patted her uncertainly on the back, not least because he'd never really properly hugged a girl who wasn't his mother before. "Lily? I think James and Padfoot might be getting jealous," he murmured after a few more moments, and Lily laughed, pulling away. "So you…you don't…I don't know…want to hate me?"

Only Sirius realized these were the same words his boyfriend had spoken half a decade before when they'd found out about their dorm mate's 'illness'. She gave him a very stern, very Lily-esque look. "Remus Lupin, d'you honestly think I'm enough of a coward to just outright hate you for something you neither decided upon, because really, who _would choose_ to be a…a…" She looked at him hesitantly.

"You can say it."

"A werewolf. Really? Would anyone in his or her right mind _choose_ that? Of course not! And besides, we need to stick together with this new little uprising gaining force around us. Death Eaters. It won't be your door they'll be banging down, or you they'll be attempting to eradicate from this world, will it? Nope, it'll be me and the rest of the Mudbloods."

"You're not a-!" James began hotly, but Lily talked firmly over him.

"Yes, I am. Mudblood and unashamed! If they want to kill me or whatever, they can come and try to do it!" There was such vehemence in her eyes and tone of voice, that none of the boys even thought to contradict her, although James certainly decided she would be murdered only over his dead body.

The foursome continued up the winding path toward the school, and Lily was brought back to the reason for their slightly early departure. "So that answers part of my question, but you have yet to tell me the rest. I mean, I understand Mooney, but _Padfoot_? Or Prongs? Or _Wormtail_? What the hell is that about?"

"I'll tell you," said James, reaching for her hand again and smiling as she blushed in the half-light, "if you promise to do me a favour sometime, whatever I want, whenever I decide to ask for it."

Lily looked reluctant. "You're a Marauder, and I must be mad to say this, but the curiosity is going to kill me if I don't find out, so…fine." James, with help from his best mate, told the long, twisty tale of how he and Sirius and Peter, after finding out what Remus was, tried to find some way that would let them make full moons less horrid for their friend, eventually stumbling upon becoming Animagi.

"Please tell me you didn't…" Lily murmured, looking from a definitely guilty James to a grinning Sirius. "Are you _serious_?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am," said Black, his grin turning lopsided with the use of his favourite pun.

"Oh ha, ha. Oh my god…I can't believe this… So let me get this straight; you found out your friend was a werewolf and then you illegally became Animagi to run around with him on the full moon, putting yourselves and countless others in danger? Is that what I'm to understand here?"

"Don't bother, Lily, I've had this argument with them at least two hundred times," said Remus flatly.

Lily looked in grudging awe at James. She'd always thought he was just a show-off and that he couldn't really do any magic worth doing, but now that she realized he had helped his friends become Animagi…well damn. He might just be smarter than she gave him credit for. "Let's see then. Do your little transforming thingy." She blinked, and when her eyes opened next, there was a breathtakingly magnificent stag standing where James had been mere milliseconds ago and a great shaggy black dog barked at her, tongue lolling out, wearing the same smirk Sirius' human form had been sporting. In the next heartbeat they had turned back. "I cannot believe this is happening," she muttered, spurring herself to continue walking despite the numb feeling of shock that had frozen her. "And," she added more audibly, "you still haven't explained 'Wormtail'."

"Oh, simple," said Remus. "He's a rat. A rat Animagus, I mean." Lily nodded, unsure if her voice could be trusted to reply properly. The group walked on in silence for several more moments.

"You won't let cat out of the bag, will you Evans?" asked Sirius suddenly. "Because then I'd be forced to Obliviate you and I fear Prongs might cry."

"Would anyone believe me?"

"We _are _Marauders."

"Right…fine, I suppose I won't tell. But if next week one of you tells me Remus turned you, I'm not going to have an ounce of sympathy."

The boys smiled triumphantly.

Once back at the castle, Remus and Sirius mysteriously melted out of sight, and it was alone (and still holding hands) that James and Lily made their way up to the common room. "I had a really good time with you Lily," said James as they stood next to the portrait hole under the Fat Lady's baleful watch, neither really wanting to drop the other's hand or enter the reality they had temporarily vacated.

"Me too. I mean…I had a good time…with you. Today. Too." Lily kicked herself mentally for sounding like an idiot. She couldn't meet James' eyes, and so was unable to see the adoring look he cast her. "So," she mumbled, mostly to break the silence, which, in the few moments after she had finished her rambling, seemed to become rife with sexual tension. "Sh-shall we head in?" Oh Merlin, now she was stuttering. If she didn't shut her gob soon, she was going to start sounding like every other girl in this wretched castle who was smitten with James Potter. Not that _she_ was smitten with him. Noo…

"Yeah, just…um…can I ask you something?" James asked, and Lily looked up; he seemed as nervous as she felt and it was immensely endearing. In the next heartbeat, she realized they had moved almost imperceptibly closer, and the space between them was negligible.

"Sure," she breathed. James moved yet closer, and the outermost fringe of their robes brushed. Her heart was beating suddenly loud and fast, and she felt dizzy and breathless as she looked up at him.

"Can… Would you mind if…?" He seemed unable to say the words, but he was still moving inexorably closer to her, and she could feel the heat radiating off of him, making goose bumps erupt over her neck. "I just wondered if…if…" He couldn't get the words out; she was too close, far too close, for coherent thought and speech making.

Then, in a shining moment of realization, she divined his question without him even having to ask. "Yes," she whispered, and his mouth descended finally upon hers. Time stopped, the world stood still, and everything seemed completely superfluous in the shadow of the fact that she was kissing James. James _Potter_. Her. Kissing him. _On the mouth_.

James, on his part, felt like he might be dead. Or possibly on the way there. Because only in Heaven (where he _surely_ would go) could he be kissing Lily Evans and have her kiss him back, those magnificent arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him down closer to her. And if he _wasn't_ dead, he had no doubt that this was some new form of horrendous torture, and the real Lily Evans (or the one who had shouted herself hoarse at him on more than several occasions at least) was going to come and Avada Kedavra him where he stood.

Lily groaned as James' slightly hesitant tongue fluttered out, tracing the tempting curve of her lower lip, and she opened her mouth for him, allowing him to ravage the sweetness within as she clung to him for dear life.

And to cap of the glorious moment with a decidedly unromantic twist, Fate intervened, and none other than Sirius Black burst out of the portrait hole. "James, where the hell are you, you big smelly g-? Oh…never mind then."

Then, to make matters even more horrifyingly embarrassing, Remus Lupin joined them. "Did you find him?" he asked his boyfriend. Sirius merely pointed.

James and Lily had broken apart at the mouth but were still wrapped up in one another, Lily looking as though sinking into the floor and becoming invisible was the most appealing remedy to her situation, and James with a murderous glint in his eye as he glared at his friends.

The redhead, whose face was trying to compete with the fiery strands of her hair, cleared her throat and pulled away from James. "See you, then," she murmured, and with one backward glance, climbed through the portrait hole out of sight.

James rounded on Remus and Sirius. "What the hell is wrong with you two?"

"You weren't back yet, so we thought we'd have to organize a search party!" Sirius retorted. James glared. "What? How were _we_ supposed to know you were snogging the sense out of Evans and not being drowned by her in the lake or something?"

"…I hate you."

XXX


End file.
